


Human Studies 100

by orphan_account



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Multi, relationships and characters to be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 04:15:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4691741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of headcanons and a look at the lifes of the players and coach of FC Barcelona.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No.1

**Number 1**  
_Marc-André Ter Stegen_

Marc-Andre cries when he decides to leave Mönchengladbach. He also cries again the day he has to say goodbye, to the fans and to the team. It's an ending to a chapter of his life that he was hesitant to close. There'd been offers from Barcelona as earlier as back in the 2012 but Marc-Andre had never given them too much thought, instead he'd focused on his team and proving himself as the team's first chose goalkeeper.

He'd made the decision to leave after catching the highlights of a Bayern game and knowing that they where going to win the Champions League. Watching Neuer make save after save left an odd feeling in his stomach, a feeling he still wouldn't be able to describe today. Marc wanted to be better than him and to do that he knew he'd have to leave the comfort of home so that he could face the other German on an even playing field.

May came around then and Fc Barcelona announced him as their new keeper. "I am who I am and that’s that", he'd said, shutting down the comparison to Valdes. Marc wasn't there to prove himself against the Spaniard, no he already had his own demons. It'd been hard then, getting injured before he could even play his first league game, it'd been disappointing. Then there was Claudio, Claudio who'd go on to play every game of the league while Marc was relegated to the champions league and the cup.

It wasn't ideal but Marc-Andre was hungry for success, and he knew that the champions league would give him a chance to play against Neuer. He'd gotten side-tracked though with learning Spanish and eventually with making friends. Soon he had Rafinha sitting beside him on the bus and Rakitic coming over for dinner and a lot less time to think about just his career. At home his girlfriend still cheered him on, his biggest fan always and his bestfriend and the one who pointed out how happy he'd become.

Marc hadn't come to Barcelona to make friends but instead he'd made a family, _a home_. Time poured like sand through his gloves and suddenly he found himself face to face with Bayern München and didn't feel what he'd expected. There was no hunger to best the other goalkeeper, only a passion to lead his club to the trophy and make the fans sing till they were _grana_ in the face.

Afterwards he'd looked at Neuer and felt nothing, just the satisfaction of a job well done. He'd barely uttered a hello when his teammates appeared to pull him away, dragging him into their midst and into the locker room where Spanish music blasted from the stereo. He still struggled to understand the different accents but he sang along as best as he could, he always did, and the smile Rafinha rewarded him with made it all worthwhile.

Winning the champions league and lifting the trophy was more than Marc could ever have dreamed of but winning the trophy with his new family was more than Marc thought he deserved. It was that night that Marc-Andre decided that the only people he had to prove himself to were the fans and his teammates, the other stuff would come in time. It was also that night that Marc cried for the first time in Spain, decked in blue and red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically these are self indulgent, one shots about the players of fc barcelona. I tried to keep my facts as straight as possible but I'm that much of a football buff and only really watch the Spanish and the English league! Also nothing against Neuer, I just wrote this to try and iron out my headcanon of Marc, I think that other is in his way to becoming a famous German keeper and also for becoming the first keeper of the national team. Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, I'm going to try write one for each of the players and if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear! Sorry for any mistakes, I plan to write these all in single seatings.


	2. No.2

**Number 2**  
_Douglas Pereira dos Santos_

The first time Douglas googles himself he finds a Brazilian boy who isn't him but shares the same name. The boy is four years younger than him but still comes up first. It doesn't surprise him but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Growing up playing for Goiás and breaking into the team had given Douglas the confidence to push on and get himself signed by São Paulo.

Then he'd gotten an injury and missed his first season. It'd been a reality check and it'd also been the first chink in his armor. Slowly he recovered and was given the green light to play. Breaking into the first team and playing regularly were a source of pride for Douglas and his confidence was renewed. Not even competition with Miranda for a starting position could knock him down.

Then it happened again when Luis Ricardo arrived and Douglas found himself fighting the same battle he'd already won. It'd frustrated him and his friends had commented that it was the first time they'd ever seen him discontent with someone else's decision. So when Barcelona came knocking from across the Atlantic Douglas was starstruck. It seemed unlikely that they'd want an unknown boy from Brazil.

Still he'd found himself agreeing to a deal and being presented to the fans only hours later. The empty stadium had seemed infinitely bigger than it had when Douglas had watched Barca games on television and suddenly he found himself doubting, the chinks in his armor allowing for them to slip in. Was he good enough to play for one of the biggest clubs in Europe?

Being an unused sub was hard and playing his first game for Barca for it to end in a draw and for him to get booked? Harder still. Slowly but surely he found his confidence being chipped away. Criticisms ringing in his ears as he sat on the bench and watched games from the stands. It wasn't until a fan shouted something at him that Douglas collapsed inside.

It was true he'd been demoted, been criticized and left as last choice but Douglas wasn't weak. Watching his teammate lift four trophies Douglas had promised himself that he'd do better. He was bolstered on by the smiling faces of his Brazilian friends who helped him put his armor back together and Douglas set out to gain back his confidence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done it, I've written a soppy Douglas fic. All very loosely based on his career which I learned of through google and wikipedia! I struggled with this a lot, Douglas is a bit of a mystery to me but I did my best. Mostly I'm hoping he'll have a good season and get some more playing time. Enjoy! (I hope)  
> 


	3. No.3

**Number 3**  
_Gerard Piqué_

There aren't a lot of things that are important to Gerard Pique but the list goes Milan and Sasha, Shak, Cesc and Leo, Barça and football. It might seem long but these were the only things that mattered to him, no matter what was said about him in the press it rolled off his back like water. As long as he could play football with his friends, and go home to his family at night, Geri was the happiest man alive. It helped of course that he also got to bring trophies back home with him.

When he'd arrived at la masia the list had been a lot shorter; just Barça and football. Then he'd met Cesc. A tiny little boy, they were all tiny to him, with more personality than Geri knew what to do with. The other had run circles around him and Geri had fallen in love for the first time. It was different than the kind of love he'd discover later in life but he loved Cesc, loved him enough to give him his pudding cup at lunch and give him piggy backs when he complained about his legs aching.

After Cesc there was Leo. If Cesc had seemed tiny than Leo had seemed almost invisible, and he had been at first, to Geri who had orbited Cesc's world. Then Cesc pointed him out and like most things in life Geri had decided he wanted something and that he was going to have it. He'd been relentless after their first meeting and even when Leo had mumbled in reply Geri hadn't been discouraged. The first time Leo laughed Geri had fallen in love again.

There'd been a lot of fights after that, with Geri darting up the field to push people who dared touch his two wards, but they're also been a lot of winning. Geri got used to it, it became natural to him, and it became something that would last for the rest of his life. He was probably lucky to have won so much with club and country but it didn't mean his career was all smooth sailing.

Not long after Cesc left for London, Geri decided that it was time to leave as well. He knew he wouldn't be able to break into the first time so easily, not like Leo, never like Leo, so he got an offer and left for Manchester. He was too young to have even signed a contract for Barça so he went to Manchester and he learned the language and he put his head down and worked. He played for Manchester, he even played for Zaragoza, but when Barça came calling Geri went home.

"I am very happy to be back, I didn't think I would be here again but this is very good for me. Manchester United is a great club and I enjoyed winning things. To play with world class players has helped me and now I want to continue this at Barça." It was true he was happy, he did want to win but this was always his plan, to come home to Catalonia and play. It was weird at first, like deja vu, to return to the place he'd dream of that had moved on without him.

It's weird in a way that you preserve a memory in your head and forget that the world keeps on spinning without you. That people keep spinning without you, like Leo. Geri was nothing if not determined though, so in the same way he had demanded Leo's friendship when they were young he also wanted it back again. So he worked and the dynamic shifted but Geri was happy to check something off his list. There was Cesc too, always Cesc, but Cesc was different.

After that the list became longer and his trophy case became fuller and Geri was happy. As long as he could play football with his friends, and go home to his family at night, Geri was the happiest man alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Gerard Pique! I originally meant to have this a lot shorter but it ran away from me. Gerard is fun to write about because I don't think he's perfect but I do think he's amazing. Hope you all enjoy, kudos and comments appreciated as always.


	4. No.4

**Number 4**  
_Ivan Rakitić_

Ivan earliest memories are of football. A Croatian growing up in Switzerland, his family had always been important to him. When he'd gotten his brother's name tattooed on his arm, Dejan had laughed, and asked what would happen if they had a fight, but he still accompanied him to the tattoo parlor and he'd gotten this look in his eye after it was unveiled; somewhere between awe and disbelief. That's just how important family were to him.

Playing for Basel was a dream come true and a stepping stone in his career that he'd never forget. When he was 16 years old his commitment finally payed off and he was noticed. His father said it wasn't time yet to take the next step though, and he trusted his father, so he stayed. Being named young Swiss player of the year and getting an award for best goal just solidified to him that family were always right.

When Schalke 04 came knocking Ivan was finally deemed ready. Still a bit young, still a bit wild, but ready nonetheless. It was amazing, playing for _Die Königsblauen_ and Ivan was happy that he could make his family proud. It was also his first taste of the champions league and it made him want more. So he stayed for three years, and he played and got experience, and when he got an offer from Spain he decided he was ready to take another step.

The minute Ivan stepped off the plane in Seville he fell in love and spend what little spare time he had between training and matches to explore the vibrant city. At night he wondered in front of the _Catedral de Santa María de la Sede_ and listened to the sounds of Spanish guitar that echoed down the street. Seville, the city he loved, is also where he meet the love of his life; Raquel.

His first night in the city he'd wondered into hotel bar for a coffee with Dejan and there she'd been. It'd been love at first sight and he went and signed the contract and vowed to himself that she'd be his wife. Dejan had snorted when he'd told him and shook his head but he knew Ivan so he went and told the president and that was that. He stayed in the hotel for three months and went every day even as the other players teased him.

She'd always purposely eyed the empty seat across from him when he ordered a coffee and a fanta but Ivan didn't care. It was all he knew how to say in Spanish and if it meant he'd get to linger and watch her work then it was a price he was willing to pay. The other workers grinned when they saw him, especially when he demanded she serve him, and he saw them behind the counter tittering and giggling and grinned to himself.

He'd of left if she'd really wanted him too but there'd always been this look in her eye and she always waited for him after he ordered so that he could ask her out and she could say no. She always said she was working but Ivan didn't care and he still came back and asked her to take a walk outside the _Caterdral_ with him. When a friend text him to say that she was in work on her day off Ivan had broken every traffic light in the city to get to the hotel. When she finally said yes he was the happiest man alive and when she married him he knew he was also the luckiest.

Then came Barcelona. Ivan was sad to hand in his captain's armband, but he also knew he was about to take his final step, a step he'd never imagined he could reach. Stepping out on the pitch on Camp Nou and hearing the _cules_ sing for him was one of the memories he'd cherish forever. He played some of his best football, surrounded by the likes of Iniesta, Xavi and Leo Messi with Raquel and Althea by his side and his new brother Alen.

The trophies felt almost inconsequential, almost too perfect for his first season in _blaugrana_. It seemed almost too perfect so he married Raquel again and made it even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ivan Rakitić and his lady love Raquel. It was very hard not to let her just dominate the whole story but it's pretty obvious how much they love eachother! Hope you all enjoy, to be honest I'm just adding a new chapter and writing these straight on ao3. I swear they're writing themselves!


	5. No.5

**Number 5**  
_Sergio Busquets Burgos_

Busquets had always been on the periphery in life. He grew up in Sabadell in Barcelona and it'd seemed almost natural to join the youth team, encouraged by his father. There'd been no flash of brilliance, nothing to immediately call him to attention, instead there'd been something more important: patience.

His teammates had called him a lot of things over the years, the robot, the voyeur, the octopus and most memorably the time Xavi had called him the 'snowplough'. He remembers the uproar in the media fondly. To him the name was a compliment. He was always in position, always recovering the balls, always doing his job and creating space for his teammates.

He knew that when they wrote Barcelona's history that his name wouldn't feature heavily, he'd only be an afterthought, but that didn't bother him. People never believed him but he really didn't mind. To his teammates he was an enigma and something they struggled to figure out and so they labelled him with nicknames.

Then someone, he thinks it was Andres, called him Busi and it stuck. So he lets it happen and he keeps doing what he always does, retaining position and creating space, and watching, always watching. When you're on the periphery you tend to notice things, like Xavi planning to leave. He never said anything, didn't think it was his place, but he was probably the first to notice.

Busquets wasn't perfect, far from it, but he became a rock for his teammates. He didn't realise he had until Rafinha came to him for advice and Xavi asked him if he should stay. Even though Busquets was sometimes prone to irritation, both on the pitch and off, he had craved himself a place on the inside of the team.

Pedro leaving was hard for Sergio because he'd been someone he'd considered a life long friend, someone he felt he could open up around. He'd miss their dinners together and sitting beside him on the bus but he knew Pedro deserved better, deserved more. So he told him to leave and watched him hang up his kit and move on to London and he'd been sad.

It was true that Busquets was a snowplough, but he wasn't a robot and so he watched and he retained and he wondered if maybe it'd be okay to join in on the fun?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sergio Busquets is a bit off a grey area for most people in football but I think he's supremely talented and I also think his teammates really appreciate him. Shorter than most but I enjoyed writing this.


	6. No.6

**Number 6**  
_Daniel Alves da Silva_

When he came home with bloody knees after playing football in the neighborhood it was always his mother who patched him up. "Chin up _meu bem_ ", she'd always said running her hand over his thick black hair. She was the one who gave him wings and told him that he was good enough, better than good enough. 

His dad was the one who shared his passion of football and told Dani that he could do it but only if he wanted to. He knew there were a lot of different things he could do, but he watched the players on the pitch and decided that it'd be cool. He thought about the fun he'd have, the money he'd make and most importantly how proud it'd make his parents if he played for Brazil.

He'd started off in Bahia and it wasn't long before he attracted attention from Spain. His mother was shocked and hesitant but his dad urged him to take his chance and told him Europe was the place to do it. So he went to Seville and he learned Spanish and he played their football and made himself a name.

Time passed quickly then and he nearly went to England too but it fell through and he kept playing for Seville. He wondered sometimes if his life would be different now if he had but he always dismissed the thought, Dani always looked forward, never back.

So when Chelsea came calling Dani wondered if it was another chance to do something new. He told his agent to go ahead and told the press he wanted to leave because that was him, he was a man of action and always had been. Maybe it could of been handled better at the time but Dani had no regrets.

He never liked del Nido, and still didn't to this day, but after what happened to Antonio he decided to stay. For the first time in his life Dani bit his tongue and kept his head down and then Barcelona came. Dani cried in his press conference, and promised he'd come back one day, but he left with his head held high.

Coming to Barcelona was a dream, one he'd had since he was a little boy back in Juazerio. It didn't mean that life was perfect, he still struggled with the racism that seeped through the crowd and found it's way out on to the pitch, but he was strong. Dani loved his teammates and the fans but the board of management was an entirely different story.

Dani was own man, he dressed how he wanted and said what he thought, and he was no doormat. It hurt that things had gone sour with Barcelona but he was thankful for his friends, especially Neymar who's youth didn't mean that he didn't give Dani great advice and respect. 

That night in Camp Nou was one of the most important of his life. He'd wanted to talk to the fans, explain to them that he loved them but felt stifled by the negative energy, and their response had been exhilarating. Dani made it clear then that he was only staying for them because it was true, he was.

He had his team and he had the fans, and he always had his families support. He also had Dinora, who was a rock even after they split, and his children Victoria and Daniel. What Dani wasn't expecting was to meet Joana who was one of the most breathtaking women he'd ever laid eyes on. He didn't know what was coming in his future but right now life was good and that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Dani, the main man and the life of the party. Of course this all just speculation but I'm trying to imagine what his life has been like through snippets!


	7. No.7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still a player at Barcelona I don't care! I decided to include the story I already wrote because I thought it was fitting, along with a little introduction!

**Number 7**   
_Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma_

At the tender age of 17, Pedro had left the comfort of his home in Tenerife and gone to play for the Barcelona B team. He was determined, always had been, so it wasn't long before he debuted for the first team. He kept at it and made appearances and put in the hours and finally he was promoted to the first team under the legend Guardiola. He established himself in the team and made sure that next season he would be in the starting XI and he was. He played and the Camp Nou feel in love with the boy from Tenerife. 

Then it all came crushing down when the club decided to buy Alexis Sanchez and the youth players began to break into the team. Pedro knew he'd have to fight for his place but it was made harder by injuries. He kept renewing his contract and they kept buying new players. Then Neymar came, soon followed by Suarez, and Pedro knew he was fighting a losing battle. He was happy at Barcelona but just like Xavi he wondered if it was time.

He wasn't getting any younger and he wants. He wants for the first time in his life to do what he wants. He wants to leave Spain, his beloved Spain, never quite home but close enough that sometimes he forgot. He'd listened to this teammates, hanging on to every word, as they described the fans, the glory and the crappy weather and for the first time in his life he wants. And Manchester, Manchester had sounded perfect and he watched the rumours arise and listened and wondered.

He'd listened as Van Gaal spoke to him in measured sentences through the phone, about tactics and his plans for the season. He thought of another season sitting on the bench and consoling himself that this was good enough, that playing for Barcelona was good enough but god, he wasn't getting any younger. Looking at the trophies they won and feeling like someone standing in the Camp Nou muesum. Looking at the Super Cup and wondering if he'd of even made the pitch if Neymar wasn't ill.

So he wondered about the colour red and what the city of Manchester looked like after it rained. That all changed though after just one call from Cesc, breathless with excitement and promise, and Pedro for the first time in his life had let himself get caught up in what England had to sell. It helped of course that Carolina had placed her hand over his that night, and hesitantly brought the subject up, anxious and hopeful. Sometimes he wondered what Daniella got in return for luring him in but then he looked at Carolina's hopeful face and began to really think, what if?

It all happened so fast then, meetings with his agent and a call from Mourinho, adrupt and straight to the point, and suddenly Pedro was sitting in front of Barto discussing his future. For the first time in eleven years Pedro felt in control of his life as he booked his flight. Maybe it was okay to want every once in awhile. 'Do you like blue'?, Cesc had texted, teasing, conjuring up images of the sea back home. 'Very much', Pedro replied and he did.


	8. No.8

The little village of Fuentealbilla in the province of Albacete, Castile-La Mancha is where Andrés Iniesta grew up. It's the kind of place where everyone knows your name and knows your story. Andrés used to spend his days cycling around the surrounding countryside, pale skin pinking in the sun, or in the church with his family. He was a quiet boy but he was known around the village as someone who'd always leave his bike aside if someone needed help.

He played for Albacete, and struggled to make friends, but he was accepted easily into the team and did his talking on the field. He didn't know it but one day there were scouts watching him play, no one told him for fear of making him nervous, and he impressed them. His dad turned them away but it wasn't long before he made a call to his friend Enrique Orizaola, who coached the the youth team in Barcelona, and convinced them to send down a scout.

Andrés didn't know about this of course and had wondered why his parents had spoken with hushed tones when he was meant to be asleep. The scouts had liked him though and so a decision was made for him. He'd thank his parents profusely in the years to come but at the time he cried. Standing at the gates of La Masia he'd begged his parents to reconsider and bring him home and he'd seen the strain on his mother's face.

They'd left him there though and he spent a lot of his time there at the beginning crying. Then he'd met Victor Valdes. The other was tall, a natural goalkeeper, and the two had formed the most unexpected friendship. His mother had immediately asked what had changed the next time she rang and Andrés had admitted that he'd made a friend. She'd been euphoric, had been eaten away by guilt each time they told her Andrés was struggling to integrate, and nagged him for details. 

Slowly he'd made a name for himself, attracting the attention of both the staff and his fellow students. Being promoted to the first team was just as nerve-wracking as his first day in La Masia but Andrés was older and stronger, so he put on a brave face and made sure to stand straight and tall. Well, as tall as he could given the circumstances. An injury to Xavi meant that he became more than a substitute which Andrés had always found ironic. His career was always tied with the other.

Everything that happened after then had been a dream, going from number 24 to number 8 and being called up for Spain. His partnership with Xavi seemed almost like destiny. "Receive, pass, offer, receive, pass, offer." Andrés repeated these words in his head every time he played and it payed off and the trophies and the plaudits came flooding in. Scoring the winning goal in the World Cup and being nominated for the player of the year were all sources of pride for Andrés .

When Xavi finally left Andrés felt numb. Victor had left before him but while Victor was his best friend Xavi had seemed like his second half. A part of him wondered if he could follow the other to Qatar but he dismissed the thought, the team needed him. He accepted the captain's armband and he promised that he'd do his best to be the kind of captain they deserved.

Andrés was the same quiet boy that had arrived in Barcelona but now he'd grown up and finally he was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's obvious how much I love Andrés and to be honest I could of kept writing but I had to stop! Hope you enjoy this short chapter about our new captain.


	9. No.9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this was hard to write and stay objective because it's meant to be from his point of view. If you don't want to read this than you're welcome to skip, it has no impact on the story as a whole!

**Number 9**  
_Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz_

Luis Suárez was born in Salto, Uruguay, the fourth of seven boys. The city was located just on the border of Argentina and the second biggest in Uruguay. He didn't remember much of the city after they moved to Montevideo,, the largest city in Uruguay which was situated along the coast far from Salto. Nothing changed thought and it wasn't long before his parents separated and Luis spent his day working and playing on the streets.

On a whim he joined Nacional at the age of 14 but it wasn't all good. It was true that was where he met Sofia, the most important person in his life, but it was also where his temper first began to flare. They said it was a sign of his upbringing when Luis headbutted a referee at the age of of 16 and they told him his career would never go anywhere unless he stopped drinking and partying and took himself seriously.

Then Sofia's family moved to Barcelona and Luis was left behind. He cried every night thinking that they'd never be together until he realised that football could take him to her. His dedication payed off and he was approached by a Dutch club Groningen who where in Uruguay to watch another player. It only took his converted penalty and 'wonder goal' for the club to buy him straight for 800,000, a sum that had made Luis dizzy.

It had been hard for him then, not being able to speak the language, in a way it'd never been hard before. Thankfully he had Bruno, a fellow Uruguayan to help him settle in. Then he got another red card and three yellow cards within a span of five games and the club questioned their purchase. Still they let him play and Luis made his mark and Ajax took interest. He was upset when the club rejected their offer, for in his mind it brought him closer to Sophia, and tried to force the sale only for Ajax to have their improved offer accepted.

The cards kept coming at Ajax but that didn't mean he didn't play well, didn't mean the club didn't award him the player of the year award. Didn't mean he didn't get the award again the year after that and get the Dutch player of the year to compliment. His teammates appreciated his skills and the goals he scored but were weary of him after what happened with Luque. Then Luis went and did something even worse when he bit Otman and got suspended.

They called him the 'Cannibal of Ajax' and for the first time Luis was ashamed. He was ashamed when Sophia rang after the game to to ask why. That was the first time he didn't want to go home to her. He got suspended then but it didn't stop interest in Europe and it didn't stop Liverpool for offering 26 million for him. It was further than Spain but atleast he had Sophia who had stayed with him, through thick and thin.

He didn't know much about Liverpool or the city but the people welcomed him warmly. Even when he unwittingly asked for the number 7 jersey they still treated him fairly, so he did his best to earn it. He didn't win them the title but he still helped the club climb the ranks on the table and for that the fans were grateful. He'd heard what people said about him in the stands and in the papers but the fans stood by him. Even when he didn't win them anything the following year they still supported him and sang his name.

Then, as most things in his career, it went sour. He called Patrice Evra a _negrito_ and the man took offense. Luis didn't see the problem, hadn't meant it that way, but no one seemed to care no matter how much he denied it. The club and the manager stood by him only for the suspension to be lengthened and hefty sum added on. I seemed nothing could be done to mend the rift with the fans and Luis knew he had to leave.

He stayed though, longer then he had intended and weathered the storm he had created with Sophia, still by his side by some intervention from god. The scandals didn't stop, and Luis didn't see the need to change, because he played even better than before and was nearly awarded the player of the year award. Then history repeated itself and it happened again but this time the victim was Branislav Ivanović and he got banned again. This time he didn't appeal the decision. 

He was ridiculed after that and struggled to explain what caused his sudden rage. He knew it upset Sophia, seeing his name in the media everyday littered with negative connotations. If he'd been alone in England he might of stayed but he couldn't let her suffer for his mistakes so he decided that it really was time to leave. The club wouldn't let him though and rejected an offer from Arsenal.

He knew he was backed into a corner and decided to bide his time and wait for a better time to leave. So he apologized to his teammates, never to his manager, and pretended it was the fans who made him stay. It didn't affect his playing, nothing every had but his own temper, and he played better than ever. The fans seemed to forget what had happened, as he scored goal after goal, and when he won the PFA Player of the Year he thought triumphantly back to when he'd played for Nacional.

Liverpool tried to force him to stay but when Barcelona came knocking, and Sophia's face had lit up, Luis knew it was time. He was proud to play for the team but that didn't mean he didn't go and fuck it up again during the World Cup. It happened again and this time his victim was an Italian; Giorgio Chiellini. He wondered what made him lash out so regularly, and promised his wife he'd get help, but that didn't mean he wasn't landed with another suspension.

It meant that he couldn't play for Barcelona and that was what really upset him, not the press, but the way it disrupted his start at the club. When he finally got to play he slotted straight into the team alongside Leo and Neymar. He struggled to score but had no problem assisting. They called him 'selfless' and 'determined' and for the first time in a long time the press was good. It helped that his teammates accepted him into their fold. He wondered sometimes if they even knew the extent of what he'd done but didn't care.

Still he was happy he could play, and Sophia was overjoyed to be reconnected with her family, and that was all that mattered. He knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened but it didn't and he passed the year without any real incident. He knew Sophia was waiting but Luis was doing his best to stay level-headed, for her. Winning the champions league, the league and the two cups was more then Luis deserved but he accepted them easily enough and vowed that next year he'd be even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best with this guys, I don't condone any of his actions! To be honest I learnt a lot I didn't know writing this and reading his wikipedia, a lot I wasn't impressed by.


	10. No.10

**Number 10**  
_Lionel Messi_

Most people knew the story of Lionel Messi, who grew up in Rosario, Argentina. Anyone you asked who liked football could recite the story of his upbringing and his growth hormone problems as easily as if it was their own. They'd shake their heads in pity and exclaim that he was lucky to have the career that he had now, to be the jewel in Barcelona's crown. It was true that Leo grew up in Rosario, the biggest city in Santa Fe, and it was true that he struggled with hormone problems, but there was more to it than that.

Leo had been happy as a child, true he had been shy, but it was easier when he was small. He had his parents, his siblings, and once they handed him a ball he had football to talk for him. To this day his parents still say that they knew he was special, watching him play in the street against boys twice his size. They said they forget about how small he was, that he looked ten feet tall as he skipped by the other. 

After that nothing could stop Leo from pestering his dad to bring him to the team he coached. There wasn't much Jorge Messi could refuse his son and so at the age of five Leo began to play for Grandoli. He didn't grow much in height those years but he grew in stature every time he stepped on to the pitch. People began to talk about him in the surrounding area and he eventually made the switch to Newell's Old Boys. He can still remember how proud his grandmother had been that day.

And so followed Leo's first real taste of winning. After he joined they only lost one match in four years and became known locally as the "The Machine of '87". Still Leo didn't grow and people began to take notice. Leo doesn't remember going to the doctors to be diagnosed but he still remembers the fallout. He remembers catching his mother looking at him with something in her eyes he didn't recognise at the time and finding his dad sitting at the kitchen table, with his head buried in his hands, as he looked over their finances.

He kept playing football, and his parents let him, but they knew it wouldn't be long before he wouldn't be able to keep up with the other boys anymore. He remembers hating his body, still as small and fragile as it had been years before, and praying to God every night that he'd grow. It was true River Plate took interest in him but they weren't willing to pay for his treatments, $900 a month for a boy who might never play. It only took a phonecall by his father across the water to their family in Catalonia for that all to change.

Carles Rexach was informed about a small boy across the Atlantic with endless potential who was held back by his body and couldn't help but be curious. Luck helped Messi and his father to arrange a trial and Rexach, with nothing but a napkin, offered Leo a contract. It was an impossible offer to deny, especially when they promised to pay for his treatment, and Jorge agreed without hesitation. To this day people still said it seemed like a fairy tale, for it to happen the way it did, but it meant he had to leave his family behind and move across the sea to Barcelona.

He had his dad by his side but still it was hard, he was only 13 years old. It didn't help that his accent, and how softly he spoke, made it almost impossible for the other boys to understand him and most gave up trying, callous in a way only the young could be. He kept playing at La Masia though, for there was always one place that Leo could be himself and that was on the pitch. He wanted to prove himself to the club, that he was worth the effort.

It was true what they said, that Leo didn't speak much those first few months. He was the loneliest he'd ever been, and cried alone in the apartment he shared with his dad at night, hoping the other wouldn't hear. He prayed for something different this time; for friends. Then along came Cesc and Geri and it became a lot easier then. They did the speaking for him and eventually Leo began to speak more too, comforted by their presence. Winning came again easily to him.

They won all their matches in the youth team together, him and Cesc and Geri, and people began to call them the "Baby Dream Team". It was one of the happiest stages in his life, to finally make friends and to play such beautiful football and most importantly; _to grow_. He didn't shoot up to reach the ceilings, not like Geri, but he was healthy and he was strong. Well, not that it stopped Geri from fighting every single defender that tackled Leo at the time. He still did it sometimes.

Then came the purge, and Cesc left for England, soon to be followed by Geri. Leo was lonely again then, he just never knew how to tell them when they rang. Leo himself was moved from team to team, playing only 10 or so games before they moved him again. It didn't stop him from scoring goals but it made it hard to make friends. It was Frank Rijkaard, the new manager at the time, who gave Leo his debut with the first team. Something Leo was grateful for to this day.

Scoring his first goal, assisted by Ronaldinho, was like a dream come true. He was the youngest at the time, a record broken by Bojan not long after, but something Leo was still proud of. They offered him a new contract then to play with the first team and he finally obtained his Spanish citizenship. Hearing them cheer his name in the Camp Nou as his was substituted off during his first Champions League game was something Leo knew he'd never be sick of.

His first season ended though prematurely when he suffered a muscle tear. Being carted off the pitch was something that had sickened him to the stomach, worse than the pain in his leg. He should of celebrated with the team when they won La Liga and the Champions League, but he was devastated and wondered if he'd missed his only chance to win with Barcelona. That wasn't true of course, and he laughed now looking back, but it'd been a real worry back then.

After that he got better and better and when people said he was at his best he got better again and left them in a trail of dust. It was true there were injuries but he came back stronger every time and he began to play for Argentina, who he thought would never come looking for him. Other players came and left the club and Leo got compared to every great there ever was, past and present, but he just kept playing and captivated the attention of people across the world.

He got used to them chanting his name in Camp Nou, each goal more spectacular than the last. That was why it hurt so much that Argentina didn't seem to love him. That it's people tore him down every time the team failed. No matter what they said he kept going back and he kept playing. That was were he met Kun Aguero, once of the most annoyingly positive and unbelievably important people in his life. He made it easier to come back each time.

There were a lot of people who were important to Leo, but they never seemed to stay. People said he didn't care, that he demanded playing time and drove people from the team, those were the rumours that really hurt. They didn't know him but they still wrote lies about him in the paper. Leo did his best to ignore them though, because he had the team, his family and he had Antonella, one of the most beautiful people put on planet earth who'd someone managed to end up falling in love with him.

Xavi said he changed after that, that he was as happy off the pitch as he was on it, and that was true. When Thiago was born Leo was on cloud nine. To have created a child with the woman he loved, to get to go home to them at night after a hard game, was the most beautiful thing in his life. To keep winning awards, to keep breaking records and handed awards, there was no doubt that Leo was proud.

His career was hard at times, and there were moments where he wondered how he'd gotten so lucky, but mostly Leo wondered, why him? Why the little boy from Argentina with the hormone deficiency? Mostly he decided he didn't care. With Antonella and Thiago by his side, and another baby on the way, Leo wanted more. For them and for him. If there was one thing that defined Leo Messi? That was determination and Leo was determined to be the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favourite player by far so I really wanted to do this properly! I tried to focus more on club than country, as I did with the others, but it's hard with him. Sorry it's so long! As always comments and kudos are appreciated, I hope I didn't make any mistakes. Also, a lot of inspiration from this, have a look; http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=lionel-messi
> 
> P.s; I'm really happy I've decided to post these stories online, I was worried at first no one would read them (or find them crap) so it's awesome that you guys are reading and commenting!


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